Cushioned heel



Dec. 14, 1937.

G. W. GRIFFITH 2,102,067

CUSHIONED HEEL Filed Oct, 24, 1,935

Patented Dec. 14, 1937 Y UNITED 1 STATES PATENT OFFICE cUsHIoNEn HEELGeorge W. Grillth, Norwalk, Conn. Application october 24, 1935, serialNo. 46,464'V 4 claims. (ci. ,3c-e5) This invention relates to improvedheels for shoes, particularly to cushioned and pneumatic cushioned typeheels.

Most cushion heels are secured to shoes with nails of other spur likemembers and a problem is involved` to prevent the heel from pulling freefrom the nails, especially since the material of the heel is usuallymade of yielding rubber. In general there have been two proposals in thepast to overcome this diculty.

One proposal, and the one now used most generally, was to mold metalwashers in the rubber heel, said Washers having inner holes smaller thanthe head of the nail to prevent the rubber heel from pulling over thenails. However, such heels are costly to produce because usuallysevenseparate washers are provided and the seven washers must be placed, oneafter another on suitable shaped supporting elements in the die.Therefore, production is low and cost high. Also, there is the danger ofthe operator inadvertently forgetting to add the Washers, or ofadvertently leaving them off in order to speed his production andincrease his pay. The operator or molder can do the latter very easilywith comparative freedom from detection because the washers are hiddenby the rubber heel molded therearound. In either event, Vif the washersare omitted, the efliciency of the heel is impaired.

`The second and more recent proposal has been to provide a substantiallyD-shaped insert of plywood laid upon the top of the cushion heel,adapted to allow the thin section of a nail or other stud to pierce orotherwise passitherethrough, but stopping the head section for thepurpose of holding the heel to the shoe. However, such Vstructure hasthe disadvantage of lessening the resiliency of the heel; e. g. thelayer or top section of therheel is a solid unyielding memberrepresenting approximately 25 per cent of the entire heel thickness,thus rendering the heel only 75 per cent, or less, effective than arubber heel of the same height Without the wooden insert. Although itdoes noti occur frequently, the rubber part of such a heel structure canbe pulled from the wooden insert because the latter is not backed by therubberV of the heel-the wood insert itself is clamped or nailed directlyto the heel.

It is an object of the present invention to overcome the disadvantagesof these two previous with the usual flexing of the rubber section ofthe heel, but which is still capable of preventing the head of studsfrom passing therethrough, or of the rubber heel being pulled from thestuds which are secured to a shoe.

In practically all previous proposals, some holes were provided in theinsert or inserts necessitating a slow and careful move of aligningthese holes with pins in the molding die, and other like factors whichslowed up the amount of production*l and increased the manufacturingcost.

It is an objectof the present invention to provide a cushion heel havingan insert or like structure adapted to more electively secure thecushion heel to the shoe, which can be made in very large quantityeconomically.

A feature resulting from the accomplishment of this object includes asingle insert without holes which may be easily and quickly dropped ontoa stepped section of the die and secured in place by molding at the timethat the cushion heel is formed. Y

A complementary feature is the provision of a one piece insert spacedboth from the top and the bottom of the heel, backed up substantially bya molded section of the cushion heel so that the insert cannot be pulledfrom the rubber. There is now a growing preference among users ofcushioned heels for the sie-called pneumatic cushion type of heel, withan air chamber, similar to that disclosed in my Patent No. 1,951,975,issued March 20, 1934.V However, the solid ply wood form of heel sectionhereinbefore described does not permit the molding of an air chamber andif used would reduce the air chamber to such a degree as to seriouslyimpair its value.

It is an important object of the present invention to provide apneumatic cushion type heel with only a single insert adapted to receivea plurality of studs, with the one insert serving to hold the rubberheel to the studs and to the shoe.

Even though a single wooden or like insert is used to advantageouslyhold the heel to the shoe according to the provision of this invention,it is suiiciently flexible so that it does not impair the generalresiliency and eiiiciency of the heel, and it therefore provides a veryadvantageous heel structure. Y

Other objects, features, and advantages will appear hereinafter. Y

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of a rubber heel according to the presentinvention.

Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view of the heel shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a side sectional view of the heel, taken on line 3-3 of Fig.l.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken on line il--d in Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a top plan view of a slightly modied form of the presentinvention.

Fig. 6 is a sectional view of that form of the invention shown in Fig. 5and taken on line 6--6 of the latter gure.

Fig. '7 is a top plan view of another modied form of the presentinvention.

Fig. 8 is a sectional View of that form of the invention shown in Fig.7, and taken on line 8-8 i of Fig. 7.

Referring now in detail to the drawing which shows the present preferredembodiments of the invention, description of that form shown vin Figs. lthrough 4 and 9 is given first.

As illustrated in this drawing, there is provided a heel E2 having anintegral bottom i4, and marginal edge I5', the latter including an outerwall I5 and front wall I6. These parts are preferably molded integral,of rubber or similar resilient material. The bottom Iii and Walls I5 andi6 form a large substantially D-shaped cavity or air chamber 2S thereinto form a pneumatic chamber with a vent Il in order to collect and expelair, as set forth fully in my aforesaid patent.

Now, of particular importance, the present invention provides asubstantially U -shaped insert i8, most fully shown in Fig. 9, of plywood or the like. This insert rests upon a stepped wall I9 within theouter wall I5, as may be seen best in Figs. 3 and 4, and is held thereonby a series of integral lugs 20 projecting inwardly from the outer wallI5.

These lugs 2@ hold the insert I8 onto the stepped wall i9 and alsoprevent the insert I8 from being pulled away from the molded andresilient rubber.

Small depressions 22 may be provided on an outer face 23 to indicateWhere nails are to be started in order to pass substantially through themiddle of the lugs 28 and insert I8 to secure the heel to a shoe.

It will be understood that small screws,l barbs,n

spurs, and any other suitable lstud may be used instead of a nail. Thesmall depression 22 may also be in the form of a hole extending down tothe insert within the rubber heel and co'extensive with a hole 2li, asshown in Fig. 9. However, such a construction is deemed lessadvantageous than one without holes.

As shown, the point of the stud is located by the slight depression 22and then is driven right down into the rubber. The pointed part of thestud is driven through the insert i8, its travel being stopped when ausual head thereon engages with an underside 25 of the insert I5. Aplurality of nails, seven as shown, serve to very effectively secure theheel to the shoe and the 'insert effectively prevents separation of theheel I2 from the studs.

It should be particularly noted that recesses 25 are provided betweeneach of the lugs 29 directly above the insert I8. These cavities providea two-fold advantage. At the time of molding, sections 26 on the insertI8 underlying the recesses 25 rest directly upon a step in the mold tobe thoroughly supported thereby during the molding operation. It will bereadily appreciated,

without disclosing molding dies, that an inner wall 21 of the insert maybe hooked upon the male member of the die which forms the chamber 28while the sections 26 rest upon a shoulder section of such a male memberto space and support the insert relative to the bottom face 23 and to atop face 29 of the heel at the time of molding. This represents arealadvantage at the time of molding and makes possible high quantityproduction and economical manufacturing cost.

Another advantage made possible by the re- ,A cesses 26 is the fact thatsections of the insert I8 are not backed up or are left unsupported sothat sections 29 of the insert I8 between the studs 20 mayyield readily.Thus, it is possible to obtain considerable resiliency in the heel eventhough a piece insert I8 of Wood or the like is used.

Although the insert I8 may be provided with with an interconnectingfront section 30, as shown by dot and dash lines in Fig. 9, molded intoYor adjacent the front wall I6 to form a substantially D-shaped member,it is preferably made U-shaped. By leaving ends 3I and 32 free, as shownby solid lines in Fig. 9, the heel may have a certain amount of sidewisemovement, viz., straight pressure may be translated into side pressureand the free ends of the insert will permit yielding to the side.

The stepped wall I9 makes possible a deeper pneumatic chamber 28 and amore remote placement of insert i8 relative to the bottom wall I4 andface 23, Any type of configuration or design 34 may be molded upon theface 23. It will be appreciated that the insert I8 will bow as a personsteps onto the back of the heel, and that there will be a generalflexing of various parts of the insert I8 concurrently with the flexingof various parts of the heel.

Figures 5 and 6 show a modied form of the present invention which is thesame as the preferred form just described in detail in all particularsexcept that the stepped wall I9 is eliminated and the width of theinsert is increased so that a section thereof is molded into the sidewall i5 as shown at 31 in Fig. 6 and by a dotted line 38 in Fig. 5. Inheavier shoes where it is desired to secure the heel in place with largestuds, there may be danger of splitting the narrow width insert I8 ofthe preferred form. An insert of greater width therefore has theadvantage of reducing the possibility of splitting when studs are drivenin place. Recesses 26 between the lugs 20 with sections 26' may also beprovided with this form of the invention for the advantages alreadyoutlined. Such a heavier duty heel would preferably be less resilientthan the preferred form set forth. Accordingly, the center section 39would be filled with rubber to the top 4I] of the insert I8.

Figs. 7 and 8 show a further modified form of the present inventionwherein the insert I8 is fully molded in place. This may be effected bymolding approximately half of the rubber heel so that the insert i8 willbe partly exposed to be located and supported, for example, while thebottom half is molded, and subsequently molding the remainder of theheel while at the same time covering or substantially covering all ofthe insert.

One advantage of this last form of the invention is that it is notnecessary to add the holding studs in a limited number of predeterminedplaces. If preferred, the outer face 23 may be provided with a channel4I generally indicated by lines 42 in Fig. 2 extending in a U-shapeabout the configuration 34 and substantially midway of the sides andbelow the insert IB. This form of the invention also shows a cross rib43` joining adjacent'side walls 44 to prevent adverse spreading.

All three forms disclosed show chambers 28, 28a, and 28h, and all havevents I1, Ila, and Hb respectively, showing novel insert structure ofthe present invention with penumatic cushioned heels. A duct llc may beprovided in a bottom 46 passing through the cross rib 43.

Although the inserts I8 and I 8 are shown as made of three ply wood, itshould be understood that they may be made equally well from bre,pressed wood, and other compositions,y

These inserts may be sawed or punched from ply wood and like stripmaterials, or may be molded from suitable materials. Pressed wood, ofthe type made from sawdust and held together by a suitable binder hasbeen found very satisfactory for this purpose since it is quiteresilient, will not split when ra nail or stud is driven therethrough,and may be provided in any desired shape very economically.

Other modifications may be made within the scope of the presentinvention and portions of the invention may be used without others.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. A rubber heel comprising a body having a cavity therein; a nailreceiving insert; a bottom wall; a stepped wall supporting said insert,

said insert and said stepped wall defining sides.

o1 said cavity; and portions of said rubber body overlying said insertto prevent the latter being pulled away from said body.

. 2. A rubber heel comprising a body having an air chamber and having atop and bottom face; a marginal edge defining said chamber; a vent forsaid air chamber; a solid insert of material more rigid than rubbercarried by said marginal edge intermediate the top and bottom face ofsaid heel body, adapted to flex and thereby allow the air chamber andvent to function eiciently; and lugs with intervening recesses overlyingsaid insert.

3. A rubber heel for shoes comprising a body member, having cavitytherein; a bottom Wall; an outer wall; a front wall; a stepped wallwithin the outer wall; a nail receiving insert supported on said steppedwall, said insert and stepped wall defining sides of said cavity; andrubber lugs overlying said insert to prevent the latter being pulledaway from said body.

4. A rubber heel comprising a body having a substantial cavity in theupper face thereof constituting an air chamber; a side wall; a bottomwall; an upwardly extending centrgal portion of said bottom wall spacedfrom said side wall and forming the bottom of said. cavity; a nailreceiving insert located in. the space intermediate the side wall Vandthe upwardly extending central portion; and portions on said side wallextending inwardly to overlie said insert to prevent the latter beingpulled away from said body.

GEORGE W. GRIFFITH.

